


When did you fall in love with me?

by SonicGavel



Category: Law and Order: SVU
Genre: Based on a song, Light Smut, M/M, fluff overall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-16 13:12:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13054695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicGavel/pseuds/SonicGavel
Summary: Inspired by the song "When did you fall in love with me" by Chris Rice. Rafael doesn't realize until the last chapter that Sonny's in love with him and the question part of the song where the person in the song asks what moment in their lives led to the realization that the person they sing the song to is in love.





	1. Was it at the coffee shop?

**Author's Note:**

> We open at a karaoke bar: A change of pace and venue for the SVU team as Liv thinks the team deserves to break professional character and just relax after a rather difficult case.

Sonny howled like a dog at the sound of Amanda singing "We are the Champions" like a tone-deaf drunk. It was nice to be able to let go like this and laugh even if Liv was watching. She let Carisi's mock of Amanda's singing slide just for tonight as it was a break. At least Fin, Sonny, Amanda and herself were having fun though.

Rafael sat next to Sonny reading the menu. Some of the food seemed good. Sonny turned away from the wild child with the Karen Austin singing "The Man I love" vocals and looked at Rafael for a second, smiling bigger than usual. When Amanda was done and she sat at the table seeing this, she whispered to Fin.

"He doesn't know yet?" Amanda asked.

"He will if you don't quiet down, Clarabelle Cow." Fin shushed. Sonny gave a quick twirl of his now soft hair before Rafael turned to look at the person sitting next to him and Sonny turned away, making Rafael confused.  
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  
Sonny stood in line at the coffee shop for almost an hour when he waited for his orders to get to the precinct. He was finally at the front of the line when he realized he left his wallet at home.

"Goddamn it." Sonny said at the realization. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how it happened, I just realized I must've misplaced my wallet someplace."

"I'll take care of it anyway." Rafael said as he surprisingly was in line just after Sonny came in. "I'd also like coffee black."

"No need to buy a second cup. Here, I bought one for you." Sonny said as he handed it off to Rafael, thinking him to be a Godsend. At the same time, he looked at the ADA in a new light. Sonny took the other coffees once the barista gave Rafael his card back.

"Thank you, Carisi." Barba said as he took a sip of the coffee. Black as he always took it.

"Thank you, Counselor." Sonny said back as he took his coffees to the precinct. Sonny walked on wings after that and from then on, left little anonymous dark roast Keurig cups on Carmen's desk that had TO RB on top of it. Rafael received those for a month. Thank God Carmen bought him a Keurig machine for Christmas last year.


	2. Or was it that morning on the bus stop when you almost slipped and I caught your hand?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks continue from all the moments Sonny's fallen for Rafael as Liv's up for her 2-3 minutes of shame.

"Up next is OLIVIA with "Surrender" by Cheap Trick." The karaoke host said as Liv started blushing, not expecting to do that tonight.

"Admit it, Liv. You have a rocker inside you just waiting to burst out." Rafael said as she threw her doily at him and went up. Sonny could hardly contain his laughter at that transaction between the Lieu and the ADA. Rafael playfully chided the younger man by rolling his eyes and giving a snide yet soft retort about his shortcomings.

"Alright you two, don't make me take you out of the fun." Fin said.

"Sorry, Fin. Won't happen again." Rafael said. Fin nodded with a soft smile and just continued to look on at Liv's performance. Ironically, Rafael was right. She could rock out with the rest of them and there were a lot of cat calls from the other patrons. Liv didn't like that very much though so she stopped in the middle of the song and her inner rocker's light was snuffed as soon as it was lit.

"AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW!" Everyone whined but Fin, who gave the patrons a warning that he'd personally arrest them for verbally assaulting an officer, causing them to go back to their thing.

"Alright, that's enough." Liv said. She turned to Amanda who was transfixed with Sonny continuing to stare at Rafael.

"He needs to tell him, he can't keep pulling this charade forever." Amanda told Liv.

"We both know that but what if he doesn't take it well? That kid'll be so crushed." Liv said back.  
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................  
Sonny didn't usually take the bus and Rafael always took a shared ride, but the shared ride got cancelled and Sonny's car got busted on the way home from work the night before, so there they were.

"Don't say a word, Detective." Rafael grumped in his usual grumpy manner.

"Whoa, take it easy. I was just going to say it's such a coincidence that the two of us are taking the same bus route to work today, Counselor. You see my car got a flat last night when I was driving home from work. It's gonna be at least 48 hours before she's back in my care and I have to take the bus. Why're you?" Sonny asked.

"Sonny, I'd like to hear your life story some other time but for now, if you don't mind, I just want quiet." Sonny imitated sewing his lips shut before giving Scouts honor to be quiet. When the bus came, the two men were about to enter the bus when Sonny slipped on a thatch of ice. Rafael, who was behind Sonny at this point, caught him and the younger man's hand fell in his free one. Sonny looked into Rafael's eyes and an instant spark happened in association with his hand being held.

"Are you okay?" The ADA asked. "You have to be more careful." Rafael suggested. Sonny nodded and silence filled the whole scene before he said the following four little words.

"You saved my life." Sonny said starcrossed.

"Yeah, I kinda did." Rafael said as he stood the younger man on a more grounded surface before the bus driver honked his horn, ruining the moment. Sonny wanted to punch that guy out when he did.

"ARE YOU COMING OR NOT! The METER is RUNNING here!" The bus driver screamed.

"YEAH YEAH WE'RE COMING, YOU NAG!" Sonny screamed back at him as he went up onto the public transportation, shelling the money for both himself and Rafael, who didn't realize he'd done that until the bus driver told him. Rafael smiled at Sonny and continued with his thing while Sonny just smiled, feeling warm and tingly from the contact he felt.


	3. Or the time we built the snowman?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fin sings as Sonny flashes back to a Christmas party at the precinct that forced Sonny with Rafael to partner up.

Fin singing was something that could never be thought by the squad that he did because he never really did it. For good reason of course, he seemed too cool to do so. But even those who seemed too cool had to lose some of their mellow. Everyone was entranced as he sang a somewhat pitchy version of "What becomes of the broken-hearted?". Everyone but Sonny, who was trying to figure out what to sing to get his feelings out to Rafael. Raf, at this point, had figured out Liv and Amanda were talking about at least him and had joined the conversation.

"What's so funny?" Rafael asked the girls. Liv and Amanda kept mum and just told a lie.

"Oh just the time you got sassed by a witness that one time." Amanda brazenly giggled at the memory.

"Amanda was telling me how red you got." Liv said before chuckling again. Rafael just rolled his eyes at that, resulting at the girls laughing even more and went back to sipping his Scotch. Sonny then became obvious that he'd been looking at Rafael with that stupid smile and twirling a stray strand at his temple as he did so all night.

"What's with you?" Rafael asked.

"Can't I be happy?" The detective asked.

"Not school girl level, but maybe. What's right with you, Carisi? Come on, tell me."

"Later." Sonny said as he went back to deciding what to sing.  
.............................................................................................................................................................................................  
"Rafa, you're with Carisi." Liv said as she'd already paired Fin with Rollins and herself with Melinda. They were doing a best snowman contest and the snow was full on the roof of the police station. Sonny was thrilled but Raf was pretty grumpy about it. The ADA didn't want anything to do with the festivities. Especially since Liv promised he'd get to pair with her. But since Melinda was joining the party in what felt like forever, Liv was excited to work with her as she was the Rita to Liv's Rafael. Sonny was out of luck too, thinking Amanda'd get to be his partner. But after the Evie case, she felt she needed space from Carisi for a bit so she asked to pair with Fin. But Rafael was like a consolation door prize.

"So I was thinking a button nose, your scarf, an old silk hat my grandfather once owned that my dad lent to me for the occasion and black olives for eyes." Sonny told Rafael.

"For a second, I thought you were gonna say coal for the eyes." Rafael retorted.

"The button nose is the only unoriginal thing that can be on the snowman, Counselor. Everything else has to be a fresh idea. As for the silk hat, it's like a top hat." Sonny responded.

"Someone of good taste, your grandfather." Rafael complimented, making Sonny blush.

Once the planning was done, it was time to build. Honestly, the bodies were already built by Dodds and O'Dwyer as pennance for their poor attitudes frankly yearround. Even Ellis had to join in and build the heads. All everyone had to do was decorate.

Amanda and Fin's snowman was a country punker and Liv and Melinda made a doctor. But the three Grinches, who also had to judge, chose Sonny and Raf's snowman.

"First prize goes to team Barisi." Ellis announced as a makeshift blue ribbon went to the Victorian looking snowman. They hugged excitedly and then let go once they finished jumping.

"Congratulations, Detective. I'll never doubt you again." Barba said as he shook his hand. The hug though kept Sonny all smiles all night. The win was a high to ride too, but Rafael hugging him was the highlight he'd never stop thinking about.


	4. Day at the beach sandy and warm, or the night with the scary thunderstorm?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda drags Liv up for a duet, Sonny has two more flashbacks and Rafael has the epiphany when he reminisces the second flashback with Sonny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, there will be smut. Be patient though.

The sand of the beach and the summer heat were attracting flies when Rafael and Sonny were there with the team investigating a crime scene.

"This perp rapes his victims multiple times before slitting their wrists and throats and leaving them in the hot sun to be obliterated by flies." Fin said as the team took pictures of the dumpsite, which they figured was such because she'd been dead for at least 12 hours when a group of swimmers discovered the body. The coach had taken them to get ice cream and they were wandering around the dock while the orders were being filled at the truck. Suddenly, a couple of the students had screamed and the coach saw what they saw as soon as he ran to them.

"She was so pale and covered in blood, I was so scared." One of the students, only 9, said as she cried into her coach's sleeve. Barba normally didn't like kids but she was traumatized.

"Oh, honey." Barba said as he bent down, surprising Carisi since the ADA didn't seem to like children that much, and patted her on the shoulder. "You did the right thing alerting your coach. Whoever did this to the woman you and your friend found could do it to another woman and they could've left DNA evidence to lead us to them." The ADA comforted the little girl and she nuzzled into his arms. "Come on, for being such a good helper, Detective Carisi and I are going to reorder the ice cream you and your friends were gonna get for being such good swimmers in class, if that's okay with your coach." Barba asked with his eyes as the coach nodded. Carisi smiled as Barba carried the little girl to an Ice Cream parlor, everyone else following except the coach who stayed behind so Amanda could continue interviewing him. Carisi went ahead and followed them, but steadfastly caught up to Barba.

"I thought you didn't like kids." Carisi teased.

"Stick it, Sonny." Rafael said as he just walked a little faster away from the gappy detective. All too soon, Sonny was pulled away from his reverie of that day on the beach when Amanda and Liv finished a duet she forced the Lieu to sing with her of "Adventues in Modern Recording" by the Buggles. Sonny wasn't much of a fan of their work himself, but he knew one thing: Not even Trevor Horn would appreciate Amanda singing the second verse at the top of her lungs with Liv attempting as best as she could to take turns. Having a woman worse a singer than Lana Wagner from Night Court and Jennifer Tilly in Home on the Range COMBINED singing next to her was probably taking it's toll on the poor woman. She'd probably wake up with an ear infection in the morning. Finally though, it was Sonny's turn to sing. He finally figured out the right one to sing.

"Next up, we've got Sonny with "I've got you under my skin."

"Good luck." Fin said.

"Thanks, I'm counting on it." Sonny said as he gave Rafael one last glance. Rafael really started paying attention at this point. For the look he gave him was the same one from that night...a night that Sonny was even thinking about as he started singing.

"I've got you, under my skin. I've got you, deep in the heart of me." Sonny started as they both began to remember the night in question...  
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Rafael's apartment was being fumigated. At this point, Sonny and Rafael had finally struck up a friendship. Liv, thrilled, considered letting him stay with Sonny since she already had a heavy load as it was with a case that Carisi wasn't working on and she had Noah to care for. Rafael figured it wouldn't hurt to do that. At least until after Sonny had set up a bed for himself on the floor in the living room and insisted Raf stay in his room, it started raining. Rafael didn't even know there was even gonna be a thunderstorm. He started hyperventilating, realizing he left something important at his place that he needed badly to stop him from thinking about-

"Rafael? Is something wrong?" Sonny asked. He was getting something to drink before bed when he heard Rafael's reaction to the storm.

"Sonny? Yes and no, something's wrong but isn't. It's nothing." Rafael said but it was too clear in his voice something was indeed wrong and Sonny needed to know what.

"What is it that you need? What's really wrong? Is it the storm?" The younger man persisted. Damn his need to be a detective.

"I have a special electric blanket that my Abuelita gave me when I was 10. My mami and papi were fighting worst at this time and when it rained, my dad was abusive and one night during a thunderstorm, he got really violent and trashed the house. I tried to stop him, but he shoved me into a wall really hard. I couldn't breathe and when my mami got home, she took me to the hospital, I looked so pale to her and I started running a fever. Doctors did X-rays and at least three of my ribs were broken plus my lung was punctured by one of the broken ribs. I was in hospital for three months and my mom had her job at the charter school, my dad went to jail so no one was able to visit me right away. But my Abuelita, she came and visited me every day. One day, when I really missed being hugged, I started to cry under the lack of human contact and my Abuelita comforted me by squeezing my hand and telling me "Rafi, everything will be okay. Your ribs aren't quite healed for a hug yet, but I got you something for just in case you missed a warm hug." and she gave me the blanket. I still get PTSD from that. To this day, I do and it's worse during thunderstorms. This one seems to get worse and worse." Rafael started getting worse and started to cry, his voice already cracking. Sonny couldn't stand the pain and suffering the man before him was in.

"Move over, Counselor." Sonny said as Rafael did as he was told. But not without a little resistance.

"No, Sonny. You don't have to." Rafael said as Sonny climbed into the bed with him.

"You need contact, I want you to feel better. So I do have to do this." Sonny said. He wrapped his arms around the ADA's waist and chest and Rafael started to feel much better. He was breathing normally again. But then something came over him as the thunder shook the whole apartment and lightning flashed brighter than ever before.

"Sonny?" Rafael whimpered as he turned into Sonny's chest, the lightning or the thunder let alone the rain, not subsiding.

"I'm here, Raf. I'm here." Sonny said in reassurance as he stroked the ADA's t-shirt clad back. Sonny himself was shirtless but wearing pajama bottoms and gray socks. Rafael clung tighter to the younger man as he looked at him with comforting, almost seemingly loving, blue eyes. He shifted up a bit to, in the heat of the moment, steal a kiss from Sonny. He never thought he'd do that, Rafael. Then again, not even Sonny thought that. Sonny kissed back as surprisingly so to Rafael. They held each other's faces and Rafael suddenly found himself straddling Sonny. Sonny slipped the shirt off and Rafael felt the younger man's hands roam his chest, waist, back, neck and just about his hips. At this point, both were just in pajama bottoms. Sonny wasn't sure if he should continue and stopped for a second to get that water.

"Wait, why'd you stop?" Rafael asked.

"I was getting water when I came in to see if you're okay. I needed to stop for a second because I've become even thirstier than before and also because I don't think I should continue. I don't want to take advantage of you." Sonny said honestly. Rafael thought it was sweet. He just got out of bed, then kissed him as he led his hand to his clothed junk.

"Come back when you're done." Rafael practically threw his bedroom eyes in Sonny's face as he reassured him he wanted this. Sonny quickly rehydrated himself and ran back to the older man who had become braver in the midst of the storm brewing outside. The rain practically splashed down on the windows as they hoisted themselves into the throes of passion. They took turns entering each other, stroking each other, kissing up and down each other's backs. Sonny was more passionate, attentive, caring, sensual, dare he say even loving. He'd already said that about the look he'd given him that led to all of this. Rafael was rougher when he was inside the detective. Sometimes, he'd change his tempo from moderate thrusts to even faster. Sonny gripped the sheets each time Rafael did this. His every touch was addictive. But being able to show how he felt about him was every bit a hazy dream as it was now reality. No symbolism to it. He'd actually dreamed of entering Rafael from behind and showing him how much he makes him love him ever since either the coffee shop incident or the little girl. When he climaxed inside Rafael, that revelation hit him more than the orgasm.

Sonny loved Rafael.

When Rafael was exhausted from the pleasure, the storm had subsided. Sleeping with his head on Sonny's chest, snoring. Practically out like a light. Sonny stroked the older man's hair as he kept swirling the realization around in his head. He was finally admitting it to himself, he was in love with Rafael but he wasn't sure Rafael knew when he was having his way with him. When they woke up the next morning and Rafael was able to go home now, he told Sonny that last night was a great release and also fun. He lightly sank, but Sonny was glad he was able to comfort Rafael as much as he could.  
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................  
Rafael snapped from the memory when he saw Sonny get to the part about the voice in the ears telling him he was a fool. Rafael realized right then that the way he'd looked at him was the same way he was looking at him now. Loving, attentive. Caring even and especially an attracted addicted wreck. The older man realized this whole time, from when he coincidentally helped Sonny pay for a cup of coffee he ordered for him among other cups for the team and himself, to when he caught him from falling at the bus stop, to the snowman contest when he hugged him, (He could feel the excitement and the spark that was still residual from the fall), to the day he bought those girls ice cream after two of them became material witnesses right up to the one night stand that he didn't know Sonny would've wanted more. He realized that Liv and Amanda were laughing at the fact that he hadn't realized it yet and that Fin was threatening Amanda if she stole SONNY'S thunder if he didn't get to make Rafael realize it first.

"Sonny's in love with me." Rafael said as he finally realized the joke.

"By George, he's got it." Amanda said.

"Rafa, are you okay with that?" Liv asked.

"Okay? Liv, I just realized something myself. I didn't realize it until I remembered the night my apartment had to be fumigated." Rafael confessed.

"What's that?" Fin asked.

"I'm in love with him too."


	5. I never saw the signs, now we've gotta make up for lost time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael shows Sonny in return and the reaction makes best performance of the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. Hope you all like.

Rafael quickly entered the song he wanted to sing to show Sonny how he felt. He felt it was the right one to put himself out there and it also a question of how long Sonny'd had these feelings. Also, why him? He's a grump, he's perhaps a bit too curt, he's old. What made Sonny choose HIM? But that'd have to be a question for after he gets the first answer he wanted.

"Finally, here's Rafael with a romantic favorite, Chris Rice's "When did you fall in love with me?" The host announced as Sonny turned to face the stage, the man he hopefully just spilled his guts to coming on when Rafael looked straight into his eyes. That's when he knew he got the message across. It became even clear when Rafael started singing. It was as if the song was being used for the whole night itself, everyone smiling and giggling as he'd stared at just the man all night save for a couple interruptions from Amanda's catterwalling and Liv's attempt to sing until the patrons cat called at her right up to when Sonny sang directly at Raf. He was doing the same to Sonny as he was on the stage. Sonny felt his entire body shiver with hot and cold when he heard the last line of the first verse.

"Your secret's out and the universe laughs at it's joke on me. I just caught it in your eyes, it's a beautiful surprise." Rafael crescendos before breaking into the chorus. It's then Sonny realizes it.

"HE LOVES ME!" Sonny gasps as Raf gives a stupider grin than Sonny'd ever give HIM.

"Congratulations!" Liv and Amanda whoop as they raise their beers up at the smiling Bullwinkle as he continued to watch Rafael sing.

"Make your way over here, sit down by this fool and let's rewind. Come on, let's go back and replay all our scenes." Rafael sang with confidence. Not enough to bring out his slight operatic, but enough to feel a lot more casual. His face started flushing red though when Sonny gave his romcom eyes, his heart pounding loud enough for probably both to hear. By the time he was done with the second verse though, now was the part that really mattered.

"Was it at the coffee shop? Or that moment on the bus stop when you almost slipped and I caught your hand? Or the time we built the snowman? Day at the beach, sandy and warm, or the night with the scary thunderstorm? I NEVER saw the signs, now we've gotta make up for lost time. I can tell now by the way that you're starin' at me I better finish this song so my lips will be free" Raf lingered on the word free a little longer than allotted on the song, but he didn't care.

"Have you been waitin' long? When did you fall in love? I kept you waitin' so long." He continued as he pointed out how true that was. Sonny'd probably been in love with him longer than he has with Sonny.

"When did you fall in looooooooooooooooooooooove with me? When did you fall in love?" The machine cut him off as needed once he was finished, but as he was about to get off, Sonny got back on and Rafael was surprised.

"So which moment was it that you fell in love with me, Carisi?" Rafael asked.

"If I had to choose? When you caught me was when I felt a spark between us, but when you comforted that kid, It showed me you had compassion." Sonny said. "But I didn't realize all together how deep this was between us until we-" Sonny blushed before continuing. "-You know."

Rafael smiled with a light chuckle before stroking the younger man's cheek and kissing him deeply. Sonny hummed as the spark reached their consciences and made them forget for a second where they were before everyone started gushing with AWs and clapping. Amanda even cheered with a wolf whistle.

"BEST PERFORMANCE of the NIGHT, Ladies and Gentlemen." The host said as he gave the award to Sonny and Rafael who went back to the team, happier and holding hands.

"So I don't have to ask why me then?" Rafael asked.

"Why would you need to ask that?" Sonny asked.

"Sonny, I'm no spring chicken." Rafael said.

"What does that matter?" Sonny asked before stroking Rafael's hair.

"I guess there is one question I have left. Your place or mine when we finish our drinks?" Rafael asked.

"Mine. I'll make dinner." Sonny said as he bent down and kissed the man who he now hoped was his boyfriend.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah yeah, it's a short chapter. It might be that way for some of it.


End file.
